When Iran's supreme leader banned U.S. and other Western-made COVID-19 vaccines this month, he did so even as his country's pandemic death toll nears 60,000 and its total caseload surpasses 1.3 million, making it one of the Middle East's worst-hit country and the 16th-most afflicted nation in the world. Khamenei's decision has sparked outrage, with a group of opposition politicians and activists insisting that a decision on the quality of available vaccines "should be the sole domain of the country's experts" -Los Angeles Times 1/21/21

The second homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed and proposed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute has been approved to begin a clinical trial. The clinical trial protocol has been approved by both the Food and Drug Administration and the National Committee for Ethics in Biomedical Research. 1/20/21

The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 5,806 COVID-19 infections and 83 deaths due to respiratory disease in the past 24 hours. Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Monday, saying that the total coronavirus cases in the country have so far reached 1,336,217 with the death toll standing at 56,886. 1/18/21

Cities across Iran have been cloaked in thick layers of toxic smog and darkened by blackouts, as the alleged use of low-quality fuel and power-sucking cryptocurrency mining deepen the country's hardships. Tehran's Hamshahri newspaper, the country's most-read daily, ran the headline, "20 Days Living in Smoke," on Wednesday over a photo of the capital covered in smog. -Golnar Motevalli and Arsalan Shahla, Bloomberg 1/13/21

Despite a coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 56,000 Iranians, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has banned Western coronavirus vaccines, claiming they're untrustworthy. "The import of American and British vaccines is banned," Khamenei said on January 8. The surprise announcement was met with anger by Iranians who have in past weeks called on their government to purchase safe vaccines as soon as possible. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 1/13/21

Iran plans to import some two million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from India, China, and Russia by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20). "The Iranian-made vaccine is more reliable than many foreign-made vaccines, but it takes a long time to be approved. So, the health ministry plans to import some two million doses of vaccines from India, China, and Russia by the end of the year," IRNA quoted Mohammad-Reza Zafarghandi, head of the Iranian Medical Council, as saying on Monday. 1/11/21

After studying how U.S. sanctions have wreaked havoc on the Iranian people and working with diplomats in Europe, rather unsuccessfully, to lessen the damage, I can attest to the fact that Iran's public health emergency began long before the pandemic. It is no secret, as international media has been riddled with horrific stories about cancer patients and others in Iran dying preventable deaths over the last few years because the healthcare system has been strangled by onerous U.S. sanctions. -Sahil Shah, Responsible Statecraft 1/11/21

A Cuban state-run research institute says it has signed a deal with Iran's Pasteur Institute to test the Caribbean state's most advanced COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Iran. The Finlay Vaccine Institute's (IFV) January 9 announcement came one day after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned any import of U.S.- or U.K.-produced vaccines, which he called "untrustworthy," to stop the coronavirus. 1/11/21

Iran, the country worst hit by the pandemic in the Middle East, has reported more than 1.2 million COVID-19 cases, with nearly 56,000 deaths. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has announced a ban on imports of U.S. and British coronavirus vaccines, saying he does not "trust" the two countries. 1/8/21

Iran has reported its first case of a highly contagious coronavirus variant that emerged in the United Kingdom. The case was an Iranian arriving back to the country from the UK, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said on Tuesday. -Al Jazeera 1/6/21

A performance called "A Season for Coronavirus" has been put on in the most crowded streets of Ahvaz city for several nights. After Ahvaz, the performance will be put on in the streets of Kish Island and Tehran. -Alireza Mohammadi, ISNA 12/30/20

Phase I of the human trial test of Iran-made COVID-19 vaccine kicked off on Tuesday in Tehran. The first injection of the 1st phase of COVID19 vaccine human trial produced by Imam Khomeini's Order Executive Office was done during a ceremony held in the presence of Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari and Health Minister Saeed Namaki. -IRNA 12/30/20

The first study of the safety and effectiveness of a coronavirus vaccine in Iran began Tuesday, state TV reported, with dozens due to receive the domestically developed shot even as details about its production remained slim. -AP 12/29/20

Puzzled by their government's reluctance to purchase coronavirus vaccines, Iranians launched campaigns for their "basic right to live" at a moment when the pandemic is raging and neighboring countries have started vaccinating their citizens. -Al Monitor 12/29/20

Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said it is planning to take delivery of a batch of 150,000 coronavirus vaccines produced by Pfizer Inc. Karim Hemmati, the head of IRCS, told IRNA on Monday that the Pfizer vaccines have been donated by a charity group of Iranian people living abroad. 12/28/20

Some 121 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 54,814, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday. Sima Sadat Lari said that with the 121 new victims, the country's total COVID-19 deaths mounted to 54,814. 12/28/20

Iran is extending a night-time traffic curfew to 330 lower-risk cities and towns in an effort to sustain a recent decline in the number of new coronavirus infections and deaths, state television reported on Saturday. The Health Ministry said 134 people had died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the lowest since Sept. 13, taking total deaths to 54,574 in the Middle East's worst-affected country. -Reuters 12/27/20

Amid the launch of mass COVID-19 vaccination drives in the West, there's growing concern among Iranians that they could be left behind. They fear U.S. sanctions and what some regard as the Iranian clerical establishment's failure to prioritize the well-being of its citizens. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE 12/24/20

In February 2020 some countries were already fighting COVID-19, and after China Iran emerged as one of the first COVID-19 epidemic countries, quickly surpassing infection rate of other countries at that time. Operating in a vastly different context than China or Italy, health officials had to think and work quickly to design early detection methods, communication strategies, and lockdown policies. -World Health Organization 12/24/20

Deep in the lush valleys of northern Iran, where the Alborz Mountains crumble toward the sea, Ali Rahimi takes up his grisly work. Day in and day out, Rahimi, a 53-year-old volunteer cleric in the city of Ghaemshahr, puts on his hazmat suit and receives the deceased; disinfecting, washing and shrouding the dead bodies in white cloth. -Ebrahim Noroozi, AP 12/23/20

A coalition of major human rights and humanitarian organizations released a statement today, calling on the US government to ensure that Iranians would have access to "safe, effective, and affordable Covid-19 vaccines." It noted that US sanctions on financial transactions with Iran "appear to be already impeding the transfer of funds to the Covax Facility, the effort of the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to manage global vaccine distribution." 12/23/20

The hashtag "There is no insulin" trended across Iran and beyond on Twitter in mid-October. Although the Iranian government said that more insulin would be available to be distributed, shortages still occurred at least through early December, and no long-term solutions have surfaced. -CIDRAP 12/23/20

On the occasion of National Nurses Day, special ceremonies were held throughout the country on Sunday. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Iranian nurses have been playing a key role in fighting the disease. According to health officials, some 65 percent of 200,000 nurses in the country were at the forefront of the coronavirus fight. Over the last 10 months, about 50,000 nurses have been infected with COVID-19, more than 80 of whom lost their lives. 12/21/20

Tens of millions are reeling under an unholy trinity of pandemic, US sanctions, and government misrule. There are indications that Iran could be among the worst-affected countries in the world by the coronavirus pandemic and its associated problems. -Ahmad Jalalpour, Nation 12/21/20

Although Iran faces crushing U.S. sanctions, there are still ways for Tehran to obtain coronavirus vaccines as the country suffers the Mideast's worst outbreak of the pandemic. After earlier downplaying the virus, Iran has since acknowledged the scope of the disaster it faces after 1.1 million reported cases and over 52,000 deaths. Getting vaccines into the arms of its people would be a major step in stemming the crisis. -AP 12/21/20

At the start, Iranian officials downplayed COVID-19 - denying the mounting toll of infections, refusing to close mosques, making half-hearted gestures at locking down businesses. That was then. This is now: Even Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has worn disposable gloves while planting a tree for state media, and he prayed in an empty mosque to mark the holy Shiite commemoration of Ashoura. -Jon Gambrell, AP 12/16/20

Iran is currently fighting on two fronts: against the COVID-19 epidemic, which has resulted in the highest death toll in the Middle East, and against economic sanctions that have deprived it of an estimated $150 billion since the Trump administration withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018. -Saumaun Heiat, Atlantic Council 12/16/20

The US financial and trade blockade of Iran, which has strangled its economy, has also taken a heavy toll on the country's coronavirus response. Nick Paton Walsh, Jo Shelley, Ramin Mostaghim and Scott McWhinnie at CNN did a great story on this heartrending travesty. -Juan Cole, Common Dreams 12/14/20

Retired teacher Khalif Farahani struggles to speak, but his emotions pierce the breathlessness of the virus's impact on his lungs. "Sanctions, it is cruelty (from) America", he said. He caught the virus on a park excursion, he added, but even in this condition is "better than before." -CNN 12/10/20

The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 10,223 COVID-19 infections and 295 deaths due to the respiratory disease in the past 24 hours. Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the total coronavirus cases in the country have so far reached 1,072,620 with the death toll standing at 51,620. 12/9/20

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that U.S. sanctions are making it difficult for Iran to purchase medicine and health supplies from abroad, including COVID-19 vaccines needed to contain the worst outbreak in the Middle East. President Donald Trump's administration has imposed crippling sanctions on Iran's banking sector and its vital oil and gas industry since unilaterally withdrawing the U.S. from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. -AP 12/9/20

The head of Iran's central bank on Monday accused the U.S. government of actively blocking the country from purchasing stocks of coronavirus vaccine through the World Health Organization's COVAX program. Abdolnasser Hemmati said on Instagram that it should be "recorded in historical memory" that crippling U.S.-led sanctions against the Islamic Republic are preventing the country from buying vaccines against the potentially deadly virus through COVAX, the WHO-led global initiative to fast-track development, production, and equitable worldwide distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. -Common Dreams 12/8/20

The United States is actively trying to prevent Iran's efforts to buy a COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX, a global initiative undertaken by the World Health Organization, according to the chief of Iran's central bank. Abdolnasser Hemmati on Monday said it must be "recorded in historical memory" that Iranian efforts to buy a vaccine through COVAX have been hampered due to money transfer issues arising due to the sanctions imposed by the US against Iran. -Al Jazeera 12/7/20

The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 13,341 COVID-19 infections and 347 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours. Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Friday, saying that 13,341 new cases have been confirmed in the past 24 hours, putting the country's total infections at 1,016,835. 12/4/20

Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said that the situation of coronavirus containment in the country is better than expected contrary to forecasts, and fortunately, new cases and deaths are declining. The coronavirus control in the country, especially in the cities where restrictions were imposed, is improving, Namaki noted. 11/30/20

Iran on Friday announced that all government offices will effectively close and operate with only essential staff, further tightening coronavirus measures as the country struggles to contain its most widespread wave of infection yet. The report did not specify how long the closures would last, but asked Iranians to postpone any planned visits to government offices. -AP 11/27/20

According to the latest announced figures by the Iranian Health Ministry, 13,843 new COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in the past 24 hours, while 469 have lost lives. Speaking in her daily briefing, the Ministry's spokesperson Sima Lari said that the death toll of the official death toll of the disease stands at 46,207 with the daily deaths reaching 469 on Wednesday. 11/25/20

Iran's permanent representative to Vienna-based international organizations has expressed concern about the effects of unilateral sanctions on developing countries' fight against the coronavirus outbreak, underlining the need for a coordinated global response to the pandemic. Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in an address to the 48th Session of the UNIDO Industrial Development Board, which was held virtually on Monday. -Press TV 11/24/20

Some 453 more Iranians died of coronavirus over the past 24 hours and 610,406 people out of a total of 866,821 infected with the coronavirus have survived and recovered, according to Health Ministry. Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari made the announcement on Monday, saying that 12,460 new infected cases have been detected since yesterday, increasing the total number of infections in Iran to 866,821. 11/23/20

As daily infections and deaths from Coronavirus are setting new records in Iran, the government has finally made the hard decision; Tehran and 150 other high-risk cities will go into a full lockdown. As per the new measures, travel to and from 150 red-alert cities will be banned for two weeks and a night curfew on movements will keep streets empty from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. -Press TV 11/20/20

Chairman of the Coronavirus Combat Headquarter said that Iran is among the top five countries in the world in the production of COVID-19 rapid detection kit. Alireza Zali made the announcement on Tuesday in the inauguration ceremony of the production line of the COVID-19 rapid test kit in Tehran. 11/19/20

One of the medications used in Iran's medical centers for the treatment of coronavirus is Remdesivir. Iranian pharmaceutical companies have begun making this medical drug to provide it for coronavirus patients. These photographs were taken from Iran's Sobhan Oncology Pharmaceutical Company in which Remdesivir is manufactured. -Moein Azari, ISNA 11/17/20

Iran on Monday reported a record 13,053 new coronavirus infections and 486 deaths over the past 24 hours as the government planned tougher restrictions to curb the pandemic in the Middle East's worst-affected country. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that the total number of infected cases had reached 775,121, while total fatalities had increased to 41,979. 11/16/20

Iran, battling a third wave of the coronavirus, is considering imposing a two-week total lockdown in the capital, state media reported, as its death toll from the disease rose by 461 to 40,582 on Friday. Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that Iran, the Middle East country worst hit by Covid-19, had identified 11,737 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 738,322. -Reuters 11/13/20

Iran on Thursday passed the grim milestone of 40,000 coronavirus deaths, with the latest 10,000 added in less than a month, as the country struggles to contain its most widespread wave of infection yet. The Iranian health ministry announced 457 new fatalities on Thursday, along with 117,517 new infections, pushing the total case count past 726,000, although officials have warned that's a significant undercount. -AP 11/12/20

Iran's national task force for fighting the coronavirus has imposed a new nightly shutdown of businesses in Tehran from 6 p.m. to contain the spread of the third wave of the coronavirus in the city. -ISNA 11/11/20

A new nightly curfew for business in Tehran to slow the spread of Covid-19 is unlikely to be sufficient as daily new infections in Iran topped 10,000 for the second day in a row, experts warned. On Tuesday, the Iranian ministry of health revealed 10,339 new infections in the previous 24 hours, with the number of new deaths reaching 453, just six fewer than the record set on Sunday. -Guardian 11/10/20

Iran was to impose a nightly curfew on Tuesday on businesses in Tehran and other big cities and towns while Lebanon was preparing for a two-week nationwide lockdown later this week as both countries battle a major surge in coronavirus infections. Restaurants and nonessential businesses in Tehran and 30 other cities were ordered to close at 6 p.m. for one month, to keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed and to slow the worsening outbreak, which has killed more than 39,000. -AP 11/10/20

Iran's health ministry reported on Monday a rise of 10,463 in the number of daily coronavirus cases, bringing total cases in the Middle East's worst-affected country to 692,949. Ministry's spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that 458 people had died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 38,749. -Reuters 11/9/20

About 70 percent of prisoners in Iran are directly and indirectly involved in drug-related crimes, Eskandar Momeni, the director of headquarters for the fight against narcotics, has said. Some 40 percent of the inmates in prisons are convicted of drug smuggling directly and 30 percent indirectly, he stated. 11/3/20

A new tranche of sanctions imposed by the US on Iran has exacerbated the insulin shortage crisis in the Islamic Republic and boosted its smuggling, patients and doctors told Middle East Eye. On 8 October, the US Treasury announced that it was blacklisting 18 major Iranian banks, effectively cutting Tehran off from the international financial system. The move defied European allies who warned it would limit Tehran's ability to purchase humanitarian imports amid a worsening currency crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. -Rohollah Faghihi, Middle East Eye 11/3/20

Iran on Monday reported a record 440 COVID deaths in the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll in the Middle East's worst-hit country to 35,738 as a ban on travel in and out of major cities came into force. The government has shut schools, mosques, shops and restaurants in most of the country since early October and on Monday imposed a four-day ban on travel in and out of 25 cities, including Tehran, state TV reported. -Reuters 11/3/20

Iran's daily tally of coronavirus deaths hit a record high of 434 on Sunday, the health ministry announced, and the head of a top medical body said the actual toll was at least three times higher than the official count. -The deaths, announced by Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari on state TV, take the official toll to 35,298 in the Middle East's worst-hit country. -Reuters 11/2/20

The daily coronavirus infections broke previous records on Friday, with Iran reporting 8,011 new infections, Health Ministry announced. Speaking at a daily press conference on Friday, Health Ministry Spokesperson Sima Lari said that with the new record high of infections, the total number of COVID-19 patients in Iran has reached 604,952. 10/30/20

Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a tweet on Monday that coronavirus has been a deadly disease everywhere but it is worse in Iran due to U.S. sanctions. "Corona's proven deadly, vicious & brutal everywhere, but it's worse in Iran as it has a cruel collaborator: U.S. regime," tweeted the Foreign Ministry. It added, "U.S. has elevated maximum pressure to Health Terrorism & targeted Iranian people with inhuman sanctions while they're fighting the pandemic. We'll overcome but NEVER forget." 10/28/20

Iran's parliament speaker said that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, joining a growing list of infected Iranian officials as the country again shattered its single-day death record with 415 new fatalities reported Wednesday. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf tweeted that he received the news after one of his colleagues tested positive for the virus. -AP 10/28/20

In a poor neighbourhood of the historic city of Isfahan, workers toil day and night to build a new hospital as Iran's overwhelmed health system struggles to cope with the soaring number of Covid cases. The work on the 1,000-bed seven-storey Isfahan Eram Center Hospital has been expedited by the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has highlighted years of underinvestment and decades of inertia in a health system that has also been hobbled by US sanctions. -Najmeh Bozorgmehr, Financial Times 10/27/20

Iran has again hit a record single-day COVID-19 death toll, reporting 346 new deaths. That brings the country's total virus deaths to 33,299, the highest virus toll in the Mideast. Iran Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari also said Tuesday that daily new coronavirus cases have also hit a record, with 6,968 reported. That brings Iran's total number of infections to 581,824. -AP 10/27/20

As coronavirus infections reached new heights in Iran this month, overwhelming its hospitals and driving up its death toll, the country's health minister gave a rare speech criticizing his own government's refusal to enforce basic health measures. -AP 10/26/20

The National Network of Non-Governmental Organizations has been formed in Iran to promote sports, especially cycling, athletics, and swimming, in society. According to IRNA, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Federation of Sport for All on Sunday October 17 to form the network. 10/26/20

With people in Iran already suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic and crippling U.S. sanctions, the Trump administration earlier this month unveiled yet another set of sanctions that could restrict Iranians' access to food and medicine even further. This move has gone largely unnoticed in the United States, with the first presidential debate passing without mention of Trump's disastrous "maximum pressure" policy on Iran. But for Iranians, it is impossible to ignore. -Niloofar Adnani, Responsible Statecraft 10/22/20

Tens of thousands of diabetics in Iran are said to be facing shortages of insulin, with many such patients and their loved ones complaining that the problem could have life-threatening consequences. Some Iranians have taken to social media to protest the scarcity of insulin pens and highlight their plight or that of loved ones who need daily injections of what they describe as "oxygen" for diabetics. -Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL 10/22/20

Iran on Tuesday reported its highest single-day toll of new coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic with more than 5,000 new infections, as the country struggles to cope with a surge in transmission. Iran's health ministry also reported that 322 people had died from the virus, pushing the death toll over 31,000. -AP 10/20/20

Iran recorded its worst day of new deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with 337 confirmed dead on Monday. The grim milestone represents a significant spike from the previous single-day death toll record of 279. The Health Ministry also announced 4,251 new infections, pushing the total count to 534,630. -AP 10/19/20

Iran's capital has run out of intensive care beds as the country confronts a new surge of infections that is filling hospitals and cemeteries alike. The single-day death toll hit a record high three times this week. Eight months after the pandemic first stormed Iran, pummeling its already weakened economy and sickening officials at the highest levels of its government, authorities have not been able to prevent its spread. In a country devastated by American sanctions, the government considers an economic shutdown like the ones imposed in Europe and the United States impossible. -AP 10/16/20

In response to the request of the Ministry of Interior to address the needs of vulnerable children during the COVID-19 outbreak, UNICEF delivered a number of locally procured hygiene items including 30,000 hand sanitizers, 12,000 sanitizing gels, 30,000 liquid hand soaps, 11,988 sanitary pads, 33,000 detergent powder, 33,000 dishwashing liquid as well as 300,000 masks. 10/15/20

Iran, the crucible of coronavirus in the Middle East, smashed two grim records this week, reporting its largest number of deaths in a single 24 hours since the outbreak started in March, and the largest number of new infections. Iranian health officials openly admit Iran is deep into its third, and biggest, wave of the disease, and evidence suggests an exhausted and impoverished country is struggling to cope as trust in government diminishes, sanctions weaken the economy and hospitals report overcrowded intensive care units. -Patrick Wintour, Guardian 10/14/20

In 2003, when an earthquake killed thousands in the Iranian city of Bam, President George W. Bush set aside years of animosity and sent an airlift of rescuers and medical supplies. He also temporarily eased some restrictions on sending money and goods to the country. "American people care and we've got great compassion for human suffering," Mr. Bush told CNN in the aftermath of the quake. "It's right to take care of people when they hurt." -New York Times Editorial Board 10/14/20

For the second day in a row, Iran announced on Monday its highest single-day death toll from the coronavirus with 272 people confirmed dead. The announcement by Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari saw Iran also give its single-day highest count of new cases with 4,206 new patients. -AP 10/12/20

The Trump administration has blacklisted virtually all of Iran's financial sector, dealing another blow to an economy that is already reeling under U.S. sanctions. The move will deepen tensions with European nations and others over Iran. Thursday's move hits 18 Iranian banks that had thus far escaped the bulk of re-imposed U.S. sanctions and, more importantly, subjects foreign, non-Iranian financial institutions to penalties for doing business with them. Thus, it effectively cuts them off from the international financial system. -AP 10/9/20

Iranian state TV said the country has hit its highest number of daily deaths from the coronavirus, with 239 new fatalities reported on Wednesday. The report quoted the spokesperson of the country's health ministry, Sima Sadat Lari, as saying that the 239 died since Tuesday. Iran has in the past had 235 daily deaths. -AP 10/7/20

The daily count of COVID-19 infections in Iran reached 3,902 on Monday, bringing the total cases to 475,674, according to the Health Ministry. Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Lari said that the respiratory illness claimed the lives of 235 people in the country in the course of the past 24 hours, increasing the death tally to 27,192. 10/5/20

Public health experts have said Iranians must prepare for mounting COVID-19 infections and deaths in the coming months. The warning comes amid media reports of preferential access to drugs and treatment for lawmakers. -Deutsche Welle 10/2/20

The number of people who have died from Covid-19 has exceeded 1 million, according to a tally of cases maintained by Johns Hopkins University, with no sign the global death rate is slowing and infections on the rise again in countries that were thought to be controlling their outbreaks months ago. The milestone was reached early on Tuesday morning UK time, nine months since authorities in China first announced the detection of a cluster of pneumonia cases with an unknown cause in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. -Guardian 9/29/20

Iran witnessed a dramatic growth in the diagnosis of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder (BSD) over the last few decades. This has been accompanied by a rise in the prescription of mood stabilizers and other drugs. A new study in Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry investigates the conditions underlying this rise in diagnosis and the accompanying controversies. -Ayurdhi Dhar, Mad In America 9/28/20